The Blues Foundation has released the nominees for the 28th Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards). The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Memphis May 10, 2007.
The big story in this year's nominees is Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Slim is nominated for an impressive six awards. Nick Moss and The Flip Tops are nominated for four, and several acts, including Janiva Magness, are nominated for three.
I am thrilled to see the name Otis Rush among the nominees this year. I am also a bit curious about it. His All Your Love I Miss Loving - (Live at the Wise Fools Pub Chicago) is nominated for best historical album. It should be. It is a marvelous set and rates as one of Rush's better live albums. I liked it so much it made my Top 10 Albums of the Year List - for 2005! Well, better late than never. It is a great album and I am hoping to see it win. In fact, I might do my part to see that it does.
Anyone can be a member of The Blues Foundation and all foundation members are eligible to vote. How cool is that? The entry level membership fee is a mere $25. I would have the opportunity to cast an actual ballot for my favorite blues performer. That is tremendous! I just have to scrape up the 25 bones before voting ends in February. It would also give me an excuse to buy some more blues records so I could intelligently cast ballots in all 25 categories. This is sounding better and better all the time. I know what I want for Christmas, mom!
The problem with voting for Otis in that category, which I would - or will - is that it means voting against other tremendous nominees in that same category. I loved the John Lee Hooker box set released in October and really want to hear the Junior Wells entry. I would still vote for Otis out of loyalty and an appreciation for what a great release All Your Love... is.
Article comments
1 - Joan Hunt
Nice job, Josh! Thanks for covering the news!
2 - DJRadiohead
No problem, Joan. This will give us a lot to talk about. I have been thinking, too... Memphis is only four hours away for me.
Roadtrip?
3 - DJRadiohead
Talk about reaching friends in high places... this article was spied by a rep for some of the BMA nominees and I am going to be getting access to some of the nominated albums. Keep your eyes open for continuing coverage of the BMAs and the nominees here at BC Magazine and on the BCRadio Podcast.
4 - Dharma Nick
Fine blog!
Hope you don't mind that I put a link to this page in my myspace blog. If you do object, please let me know (you can leave a comment on my myspace blog), and I'll remove it.